Pirates Of The Caribbean: A Change In Time
by exiealta
Summary: 17 years later, angsty Jesse longs for adventure outside of the home of her aunt and uncle Elizabeth and Will Turner. She's determined to find her real father, no matter what it takes. Please R&R! Rated M for use of language - NOT BEING UPDATED AS OF RIGHT NOW DUE TO LACK OF INTERNET. WILL START UPDATING AGAIN IN NOVEMBER -
1. Chapter 1

**Author notes: okaii hiiii. so this is my first fanfic that I've ever published... and it's just strictly for fun. my best friend and i in 6th grade were obsessed with pirates of the caribbean and used to write crappy stories hah. now that we're older and more into writing, we both decided to take our original ideas and actually try something with it.**  
**i'd like to add that I fail when it comes to writing in pirate lingo (I changed my FB language to help inspire me haha), so I'm sorry in advance... and it's not very good, but I hope that you all enjoy it anyway...  
**

**anyway,  
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**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pirates Of The Caribbean. :P**

**_PS: some characters may seem slightly OOC, i realize this... like i said, first time, dont judge me haha._  
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**_PSS: I will try to add Chapter 2 soonish_  
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Under the mantel and around the staircase, Jesse carefully spied on her aunt and uncle. She had caught them discussing her before, but was never sly enough to keep hidden. They were always whispering about her. Always keeping an eye out on her. Always worrying about her. More than they ever did about Samantha, their actual daughter. Then again, Samantha was nearly perfect. Jesse scoffed to herself and tried to open her ears more.

"Will, eventually she's going to want to know." Elizabeth said frustratedly.

"You think if he wanted to meet her, he would've come by now, Elizabeth. She's nearly 17. He hasn't come once." Jesse knew about her father. Sort of. She knew that he was a well known pirate with a bad reputation. Will Turner, her "uncle", was considered a good enough friend to her father, that he would take her in due to her mother being unfit. Why her 'father' cared, Jesse didn't care. She nearly hated him and this life that he bestowed upon her. Taunted everyday by other kids her age for being born out of wedlock to a pirate and a whore. Kids could be cruel. Jesse eventually learned to drown it out.

"We can't just tell her, William. She'll go looking for him. You know she's just as stubborn as Jack." Jack. That's right. Jack Sparrow. Everyone has heard the tales of Jack Sparrow. Whether they be good or bad, at least you've heard of him. Jesse was often told that she was the spitting image of her father. Not that she knew what he looked like. She had long dark wavy hair that was kept in a tight bun, big eyes as blue as the ocean, with skin that was tan from being in the sun for too long. She couldn't stand being prim and proper, much to Elizabeth's disliking. Good thing she had Samantha to play doll with. Jesse was more eager to touch a pistol or sneak into Uncle Will's armory. Last time she got caught in there, Will taught her a few tricks to the art of sword fighting, until Elizabeth found out. Now Will never taught her anything and helped reprimand her for not being a typical lady.

"What are you doing?" A shrill voice came from behind Jesse. She nearly jumped 10 feet in the air before realizing that it was just Samantha. Her brown eyes were suspicious. Jesse glared at her and her perfectly curled hair and tight bodice.

"Nothing that should be any of your concern, Sam." Jesse mumbled.

"It's Samantha." She corrected properly, like she did every time. "And it is my concern, what are you doing?" She demanded.

"I'm playing a game."

"What kind of game?" She asked.

"The kind that involves ignoring you." Jesse snapped. Samantha pursed her lips and stuck her nose in the air.

"You're going to sneak out again, aren't you?" She accused.

"Why do you care what I do?" Jesse glared.

"Jessica," Jesse hated being called Jessica, "it's dangerous out there!"

"So what?" Jesse mumbled.

"So you'll get killed." Samantha was quick to assume the irrational.

"Oh, please." Jesse rolled her eyes.

"I will tell my parents." Samantha said, straightening her back. It was something she always did to remind Jesse of the power she held over her. Elizabeth Swann, her mother, was always someone of wealth, one might consider. She was supposed to have married Commodore Norrington, but fell in love with Will instead. That story, Jesse thought, had some major flaws, but no one ever questioned it. Especially Jesse. Elizabeth was always quick to chastise Jesse when she would take her and Samantha out. The commodore always gave Jesse off looks, as if she were filth. She was used to it, of course. Jesse was always clean, had a decent hair cut and had an appropriate wardrobe - when she wasn't shredding the material of her dresses into tunics. There wasn't any reason to dislike her other than who her father was.

"Go ahead, see if I care." Jesse said, her voice false with bravery.

"Fine." Samantha was quick to her feet.

"No!" Jesse grabbed onto her cousin's wrist and pulled her back.

"I thought you didn't care." Samantha taunted. Jesse's lip quivered in frustration.

"I don't." She said, raising an eyebrow high. "But why be a tattletale?" Samantha stared at her, internally at war. To get her in trouble, or to not get her in trouble? Jesse felt like Samantha was born to wreak havoc on her already miserable life. Although, she was sure Samantha felt the same about her. "Look," she began, "all I want is to know why they keep whispering about me. Savvy?" Samantha's eyes widened.

"Don't say that." She hushed. "You sound like a pirate!" There was utter disgust in her voice. Jesse blinked in amazement. When she looked back over to Will and Elizabeth, she saw two concerned pairs of eyes staring right back at her.

"Girls." Elizabeth said nervously. "What are you doing?"

"Uh..." Jesse stammered. Uh oh, she thought.

"We were playing a game." Samantha said quickly. "Jesse's very good at it." Jesse looked at her, eyes terrified, but then quickly nodded in agreement. "It's called Hide and Seek, mama."

"Oh." Elizabeth stuttered. "Very well." She looked distraught as she pulled her skirts from the floor and rushed herself into the next room. Will gave the girls a stern look of disapproval. He knelt down and Samantha looked immediately ashamed.

"Lying will get your tongue cut off." Will teased. Jesse smiled, and Samantha felt fear rush through her body.

"With a rusty knife, if you're lucky." Jesse with a large grin. Will winked at her, and then turned toward his daughter.

"Don't worry, darling." He said softly. "It'll be our little secret." Samantha tried to give a smile. The color drained from her face as her father walked away. She turned back toward Jesse and glared at her.

"Look what you made me do!" She yelled.

"That's rubbish, I didn't make you do anything."

"I lied!" Samantha gasped. Jesse sighed.

"You're not going to lose your tongue, you whiner." Jesse got to her feet and began to head up the marbled staircase.

"That is not the point, Jessica." Samantha frowned.

"Then what is?" Jesse snapped. "I'm not allowed to know my parents? What kind of cruelty is that? If I'm going to be mocked for them, I think I deserve to know what they did!" Jesse turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could to her small room, slamming the door behind her. Angrily, she threw herself on her bed and muttered swears into her pillow. There was nothing she wanted more than to get out of Port Royal and away from her overbearing aunt, annoying cousin and manipulated uncle. She strove for adventure, not being locked in a mansion. Maybe this is what Elizabeth meant. Maybe Elizabeth tried so hard to make her like Samantha because she was afraid that she would be like her father. Jesse pulled out a box from underneath her bed and set it on the quilt. She pulled the lid off and ran her fingers through the random items. She immediately found what she was looking for at the bottom of the box. A ring given to her by Will. It was a skull encrusted with a large green emerald in the mouth. She had no idea how old this ring was, or what it had been through to be in the condition it was in, and part of her wanted to know desperately if it belonged to her father once. Will only said 'don't show your aunt' when he gave it to her 7 years ago. Jesse put the ring on her index finger. It fit perfectly. _If anyone saw this ring_, she thought, _they would go off and probably hang me_. After admiring the ring, she went to the box again and pulled out a piece of stained paper. It was folded into the tiniest cube, causing her frustration as she tried to unravel it. It was one of those 'wanted' posters. There was no portrait on it, and all it said was "Jack Sparrow" with his crimes, and a bounty on it. Jesse stood up and looked out the window towards the ocean. The waters were calm under the bright sun.

There was a ship. Jesse tried to recall the name. It was something ridiculous, she remembered Will complaining about how a ship as majestic as she should have an honorable name. Jesse suspected Will had been on a ship once or twice. He seemed to know more about piracy than the average man of his age. The ship was beautiful, it was new. The last one they had, The Aurora, sank. Jesse chuckled. _Damned pirates._ She thought with a whimsical smile across her face. The new ship was at the dock, being loaded by the crew. It was to set sail two days later at noon for Tortuga. Jesse's mother was from Tortuga. All the stories she heard about Tortuga. Lawless, drunks, pirates, and whores galore. She would be lying if she said she wasn't curious. She wanted out of Port Royal, but she was trapped with no way out. They didn't just let girls on ships. It was bad luck to have a woman on board. She had no money. She could barely pass for a boy.

Suddenly, she had an idea. She practically ran to her dresser and pulled out the first corset she saw. With a mischievous smile, she held it up. The corsets she had were very restricting, and flattened out her chest.

"I could do this..." She said to herself, as she pulled herself out of her blouse. Jesse was not expert on lacing up corsets, but she had no intentions of letting anyone see it. She tightened it, tied the strings poorly, and put her blouse back over it. _This could work!_ She thought cheerily. She grabbed her hair and held it up and looked into the mirror from her vanity. A knock came at her door and she quickly dropped her hair, yanked the ring off her finger and shoved everything under her pillow, just in time for Elizabeth and Samantha, who was looking as guilty as ever, to walk in. "What's this all about?" Jesse asked, her heart racing.

"I've been so caught up in everything, dear." Elizabeth said. "I forgot to have your skirts fitted for this evening."

"What's this evening?" Jesse asked nervously. Samantha scoffed.

"The _ball_?" She said with the most condescending tone ever. Jesse gave her cousin a dirty look.

"I'm not invited." Jesse said, calmly.

"You are too." Elizabeth objected.

"I uninvited myself." Jesse shrugged. Elizabeth gave a groan of disapproval.

"You can't un-invite yourself, Jessica." Samantha groaned. "This is the Commodore's _son's_ ball. He's 18 now." Samantha was desperately infatuated with Oliver Norrington, and had been since she was 11. Jesse had never actually _met_ him, but with his apparent arrogance, she didn't want to.

"Your uncle and I both agree that we think it's time you set out to find a husband." Elizabeth said, as she pulled her closer to her. She gave her a curious look when she lifted the blouse up to see the corset.

"Husband?" Jesse's became wide with fear. Elizabeth seemed surprised at her reaction.

"Sweetheart, you're of age." Elizabeth explained, as she unlaced the corset around Jesse's ribs.

"No one wants to marry me." Jesse murmured miserably. "What good is a girl with a pirate and a whore for parents." Elizabeth slapped her hands into her lap and gave a loud angry sigh which startled both Jesse and Samantha.

"You were raised under Turner, and you _are_ a Turner. Don't listen to what others say." Elizabeth snapped. "You are going to that ball, and I don't care whether you like it or not. You will dance and socialize with the other men there."

"Except for Oliver." Samantha said, as she inspected her hair in Jesse's vanity.

"I wouldn't touch Oliver if he was the last man on earth." Jesse scowled. "His personality is foul and I'd rather be hanged than have to speak to him."

"Watch your tone, young lady." Elizabeth gasped. Samantha's jaw was dropped. Elizabeth stood up, not even finishing with the corset, and had to excuse herself. Her jaw was locked tight. Jesse couldn't remember the last time she made her aunt that angry. Samantha, on the other hand, was absolutely in love with anything and everything remotely relatable to Oliver Norrington. Oliver was a skilled archer... so in her desperate act for his affection, she pulled up a bow and arrow, missed the target by feet, and nearly shot him in the shoulder. He honestly tried everything in his power to avoid her, but sometimes being powerful just wasn't enough.

"I cannot believe you." Now even Samantha looked disappointed.

"That's unfortunate." Jesse said, carelessly.

Samantha left in hysterics. Jesse thought she was extremely over dramatic.

Jesse quickly went back to her pillow, where she stuffed the ring. She put it back on her finger and sighed. _I will get out of here._

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__**hope you guys liked it :]  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: okay hello again :) here is the next installment of my silly little fanfic. **

**if you're reading this i just wanna say thanks :D  
**

**dont forget to leave a review of what you think & if you're going to criticize, please do it in a constructive way :]  
**

**disclaimer: i dont own pirates of the caribbean  
**

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Elizabeth had sent up a maid to help Jesse get ready for the ball. Jesse figured she didn't want to deal with her cynicism. She was okay with that, she really liked the maid, Lucille. Lucille didn't judge her and she listened and was one of the only people Jesse actually liked. She would consider her a friend if it weren't threatening to her job.

"Lucille, do you think there's something wrong with me?" Jesse asked shyly.

"No, miss." Lucille replied quickly.

"Do you think that I am suitable?" She asked.

"Yes, miss." Lucille said.

"Be honest."

"I am." She smiled softly. Jesse turned in the mirror. Her dark hair was down, near her waist line.

"Do you think I'm worthy of someone like Mr. Norrington?" Jesse asked, brushing her hair out with her fingers.

"Mr. Norrington isn't worthy of someone like you, Miss Turner." Lucille patted her head. Jesse blushed, and she didn't know why. "I thought you didn't want Mr. Norrington's affections."

"I don't." Jesse proclaimed. Lucille rose an eyebrow. "He is repugnant, Lucille."

"He is quite handsome." She replied. Jesse scoffed.

"Samantha is trying to win his heart."

"You sound upset." She said softly.

"I'm not." Jesse snapped.

"My apologies, miss." Lucille responded quietly. Jesse's jaw was tight. She never told anyone that when she was 8 years old she fancied Oliver Norrington from afar, never taking action, but he was absolutely disgusted with her presence. A lady shouldn't have dirt under her nails, shouldn't wear trousers or play with knives. A lady should be a lady. Lucille quickly wrapped Jesse's hair into a tight bun. "You look beautiful, Miss Turner."

"Thank you, Lucille." Jesse said, unconvinced. She didn't feel beautiful. She felt ridiculous, like she was playing dress up. She couldn't wait for the day she never had to wear a dress again. She clumsily wobbled over to the door where Samantha was nosily waiting for her.

"You look beautiful!" Samantha said with a big grin on her face.

"So do you." Jesse smiled sheepishly, fighting the redness in her cheeks.

Samantha refused to shut up about this ball the whole way there. The carriage bumped over a large graveled potholes. Jesse sat miserably. She had her ring around a long gold chain, tucked into her brassiere. She felt like she needed it with her to survive the evening. Samantha was already off the carriage before the servants could open the door. She was nearly running up the steps as Jesse stumbled out. The home of the Commodore Norrington was absolutely beautiful. The ballroom alone was large enough to fit at least half of the families in Port Royal. Jesse accepted the mask that was handed to her as she reached the door. She quickly wrapped it around her head, securing it tightly behind her bun. She hated the idea of masks. She didn't like being concealed. Being treated well with a mask then poorly without it. It wasn't fair. But, she would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't like knowing who she was near either.

The minute Jesse walked in, one man in dress robes came up to her and kissed her hand. She scoffed and pulled her hand away, and he was surprised at her rejection. She tried to figure out where her cousin had run off to, but between all the heads of curly hair, she was lost. Jesse didn't have any friends, she had always been a loner. Because of this, all of the other ridiculously dressed people shoved by her to embrace their cliques and gossip and giggle about who was wearing what, who was with who. In a town where everyone knew each other, masks did no service of keeping identities hidden. So instead of mingling and pretending she liked them, she stood in the corner with the other socially awkward folk.

"Well, well." The voice Jesse didn't want to hear was right behind her. She turned around to see this splendidly built, tall - at least over 6 foot - excruciatingly handsome young man beaming down at her. She clenched her teeth. "You don't honestly believe masks are _that_ good at hiding?"

"_Oliver_, I would've spotted you from a mile away." Jesse retorted, trying to sound stuck up. "Unfortunately for you, your ego is so large that one wouldn't have to try so hard."

"So you noticed me?" He smiled beneath his mask.

"No." She looked up at him through her heavily coated lashes.

"So you didn't notice my ego?" He was still smiling, a little sarcastically now.

"I didn't care enough to waste my time." Jesse replied. His smile turned into a full grin. She was surprised that Oliver Norrington was speaking to her. Perhaps, he assumed she was somebody else.

"Well, good. I quite enjoy the element of surprise." He persisted, as he leaned against the wall. His sword hung by his belt, bow and quiver on his back. He looked like he was trying hard to impress her. Jesse squinted her eyes through the small slits of her mask. Was he being serious?

"Do you know who you're talking to?" She crossed her arms, raising a brow.

"Of course I do." He said defensively, his smile still placed on his face.

"No, you do not." Jesse replied. "You've never spoken a word to me in your life." He looked taken aback. He stood back straight and Jesse could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

"Well, I see how foolish that was of me." Oliver said quickly, trying to cover up his mistake. "After all," He leaned down close to her, "you do have the most beautiful eyes. They resemble the waters after sunset." Jesse felt her face flush behind her mask and fought a smile. He grinned at her. "I see that," he put his hand under her chin, "what is your name?"

"Has anyone seen Oliver?" Jesse heard a squeaky Samantha say off in another group of people. She and Oliver both looked over to where the voice was coming from. Jesse sighed quietly, and Oliver turned her head towards him again.

"I need to go." Jesse whispered, pulling away from the crowd.

"Will you meet me?" He asked softly, grabbing her hand. Jesse rose an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Sorry?" She said nervously.

"When the clock strikes eleven, will you meet me?" Oliver's voice became low. Jesse nodded slowly and insecurely, as he kissed the top of her hand. Her eyes became wide. What in the world did she just agree to? His eyes locked to hers and she felt some weird tingling in her stomach. She quickly pulled away and pushed herself behind the crowd of his crazed lady suitors. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She hoped desperately that Samantha didn't see her talking to him. Jesse looked back and saw Samantha giggling and flirting with the man that just tried to court her. He flirted back, as if he hadn't even said a word to Jesse. Her heart felt a little unpleasant, but she snapped back into reality.

When she told Lucille that she detested Oliver Norrington, was she serious or was she just trying to convince herself that she did? Jesse grabbed her necklace and wrapped her fingers around it. She didn't need a man. She didn't want a man. She was not about to be thrown into fancy dresses, and stand by and have babies without a say. She almost forgot her scheme to leave.

Tucking her necklace back into her bodice, she maneuvered herself through the crowd of young men and young women, nodding appropriately if one acknowledged her. No one seemed to realize who she actually was. She was asked to dance twice as she made her rounds, but she politely declined unlike the first time. Jesse watched her cousin grace Oliver with her presence, as she beamed her perfect smile and flaunted her perfect body at him. He was grinning back at her, as she twirled into his arms, laughing away. Jesse rolled her eyes and pretended she didn't care. She was supposed to meet him at eleven, but she considered sneaking out and running away before anyone noticed. He wouldn't come looking for her, he didn't even know who she was. She would sneak into the ship that was set for Tortuga, and then start over. Start a new life. What that new life would be? She didn't know. She would figure out something. She glanced over to the clock and it read 10:13 PM. She was surprised at how quickly time had flown. Oliver Norrington was supposed to, at any time now, give a heartfelt speech on surviving his elder brother, James Norrington Jr., how he will follow in his father's footsteps and do his deceased brother proud. Tonight was the night he was supposed to find a wife to take by his side as well. Samantha was probably about to burst into a million pieces.

Just as Jesse started to look for them again, she saw him walk toward a podium. The music quieted and all attention was brought to the youngest Norrington. He was incredibly charismatic, his smile made every woman swoon.

"Hello," Oliver Norrington said with a small smile on his face. His eyes scanned the crowd, taking in every face. "First, I would like to thank each individual for coming tonight," He eyes wouldn't focus, like he was searching for a particular person, "to celebrate my becoming of a man. It is a great honor to be here." Oliver's voice was deep, but sensual. He knew exactly how to draw his audience in. "It feels just like yesterday, I was following my brother, James, around. He was my role model, my hero. I aspired to be just like him." His smile was gone now, but his eyes delivered hope. "My brother died at the hands of a pirate eleven years ago." His voice became rough, almost hostile. Jesse's heart nearly stopped, and she felt herself freeze in her spot. "I stand in his place today and I swear on his grave that I will avenge him and protect the Port with every inch of my being." He had removed his mask before he begun speaking, but with how harsh his words were coming out, Jesse could really tell how tired he was. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked malnourished and deprived of sleep. Still, he was able to entrance the audience and come out strong. "There is no room for piracy in Port Royal. I will live up to the Norrington name, fight for the Port and bring peace to the streets." His wandering eyes slowed down, but he wasn't giving up on who he was looking for. There were a few applauding noises from randoms in the crowd as Oliver continued speaking on traditions he will keep from his father. Some others asked questions, and Jesse started to drone off. It was the same speech that everyone has heard before, the same questions asked.

"What is the punishment fit for a person guilty of piracy?" A man's voice came from the crowd. This got Jesse's attention finally. Her head shot from the man to Oliver.

"A man or woman guilty of piracy shall be hanged until death for their crimes." Oliver said uncomfortably. There were bursts of cheers in the audience. Jesse scoffed with disgust.

"What about offspring of pirates?" Jesse couldn't help herself. She mentally beat herself for even thinking of it. Oliver's brows raised in surprise.

"Well," He laughed, "I doubt any woman worthy would sustain fornicating with a savage." The crowd laughed and all Jesse could do was glare through her mask.

"So you're saying that a woman who was raped," there were gasps in the audience. A woman never spoke so freely to a man of power or in front of a group of people, "by a so-called 'savage' is not worthy? That she should be hanged?" Oliver's lip quivered. "And what about a man? Fornicating with a woman involved with piracy?"

"Hanged." Oliver said aggressively. "Now if you pleas-" He was interrupted by a load crashing noise at the front gates. A few women gasped and screamed and everyone huddled together like rabbits. Some guardsmen readied their weapons as another blow came. "Everyone calm down... stay together." Oliver ordered, nervously.

The doors burst open and women and men alike all screamed in terror. They all started running in different directions, tripping over themselves and pushing each other out of the way in selfishness. A mass horde of pirates equipped with swords and guns came barreling in. Jesse's eyes became wide as she fell against the wall. Oliver Norrington wielded his sword, along with other men.

"'Ello poppet."


	3. Chapter 3

**an:**

**hey so here's the next chapter  
**

**im pretty sure i already said that i suck at pirate lingo/talk so here i am saying it again because i honestly suck at it, and dont really feel like learning it since its just fanfiction haha.  
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**ummmm i hope you guys like it anddd i will be working on chapter 4 over the course of the next few days and will hope to have it up next week.  
**

**disclaimer: i dont own pirates of the caribbean  
**

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"'Ello poppet." Out of the blue a short stumpy bad man, with an exposed chest and raggedy trousers said with a mischievous grin. Jesse gasped and nearly fell to the floor. His sword was gripped tightly in his hand as he walked closer to her. A loud clang startled her as Oliver Norrington slammed his sword against the pirate's.

"Leave her alone." He said mightily. The pirate laughed.

"I've dealt with yer kind, boy." He snickered.

"Go." Oliver demanded of Jesse. She scurried to her feet and headed the other direction when a tall, scrawnier pirate with scraggly blonde hair, missing an eye stopped her.

"'Scuse me, miss," He said, giggling like a hyena, "but 'ave ye seen me eye?" Jesse turned back toward Oliver but he was warding off the other pirate. Jesse glanced between the two in panic. She grabbed the bow straight off Oliver's back along with one arrow, quickly turned toward the skinny pirate and he backed off. The arrow was in place faster than that pirate could have unsheathed his sword.

"I will use this." She said between clenched teeth. He put his hands up and started to back off.

"Oi," He stuttered. The arrow was yanked out of her grasp by another pirate, who then shoved her to the ground. Still holding the bow, she flung it at him, hitting him across the head. He stumbled over into the next pirate and she struggled to get to her feet in the mess of her skirts. She was suddenly helped up by Oliver Norrington who had an open cut across his cheek. His dark hair that was slicked back was now out of place and fallen into his face.

"Leave." He said, grabbing the bow from her hand.

"I can help." She tried.

"Leave!" He demanded. He wrapped his hand around her waist, pulled her in close.

"Oliver!" She gasped as the two pirates came straight for them. She held onto him tightly, as he flung around, stabbing the one who shoved her, straight in the stomach. The tall skinny pirate ran off with the shorter one. Oliver looked around frantically before looking back down at Jesse.

"I will find you." He promised. She nodded slowly and ran as fast as she could for the balcony. Luckily for her, the attackers had not gotten this far into the mansion. The breeze hit her like a ton of bricks. She ripped the mask off of her face and threw it to the ground. With difficulty, she tried to rip off her petticoat under her heavy skirt. In frustration, she began to untie the the top of her gown and loosen her corset. She nearly gasped for breath when it came loose. She went around the corner of the balcony and saw a window. It was to a bedroom. Examining every crevice, she pushed it open and tried to pull herself up. She made so much noise, she was surprised no one came barging in.

She undressed as quickly as she could and scoured the drawers for trousers and a blouse. When she found them, she tightened her corset up - though not as much as before - and pulled the clothes on only to realize that they were much too big. She looked everywhere for a belt, but couldn't find a thing, so she pulled the ribbon from her dress and fashioned one. It would have to suffice, she thought. She quickly slipped on a pair of solid black saddle shoes that were clearly meant for men. They would have to do until she got to Tortuga.

She slipped back out of the window and onto the balcony. She suddenly felt afraid. Her appearance was less than appealing now and her chances of living in this battle were slim. Her doubts began to flood her mind.

"Boo." A dark voice said from behind her. She had no weapon, so she ran as fast she could before reaching the end of the balcony. She felt stupid now. What did she expect? "Aye, lad." She finally saw the large pirate come up to her. His beard was scraggly, his breath smelt of rum. He had dark, cold eyes. He stood of high ranking. "Ye 'ave somethin' that belongs to me."

"W-who are you?" Jesse asked shakily.

"Me names Capt. Barbossa, lad." He said almost amused. "An' I ain't here to play games."

"Why are you here?"

"Ye deaf, boy?" He said louder, causing Jesse to jump. "Ye've got somethin' that belongs to me." Jesse looked desperately for a way around him, but she was blocked. The only way out was down. "Ye best be givin' it to me 'fore I gut ye." He threatened. Jesse felt like she was going to pass out.

"I don't have anything..." She tried. He scoffed.

"A ring?" He held a revolver in his hand and carelessly pointed it up toward the sky. Jesse mistakenly looked down at her chest, the ring was still on the long chain. Barbossa's eyes followed hers. "So ye do have it." His lips turned up into a smirk. Jesse refused to move or say anything, she just stared hard back into the pirate's eyes. His hand reached for her chest but she shoved his hand away. He flung his hand against her face so hard that it knocked her down and before she could get back up, he clutched her by the shirt that tore at his grasp. His grip softened slightly when he saw the corset underneath, but instead of letting her go, he slammed her against the railing, yanked the chain from her neck and began to walk away.

"Stop!" She yelled. Captain Barbossa ignored her and kept walking. She ran after him shouting, "that's my father's!" Now he stopped. He turned around and his eyes were wide, but suspicious. Barbossa started laughing. He shook his head and turned away. He closed the doors behind him and Jesse felt all of her anger rise. She ran toward the door, but it was locked. "Damnit!" She screamed as she kicked the door. She shook the handles as if it would open the doors and then just screamed when it wouldn't. She ran back toward the window, crawled in with much more ease, and tripped over her skirts to the door. It flung open and she looked left and then right down the long hallway. She ran to the left as fast as she could, passing the civilians who were running in fear and the pirates who were fighting or chasing them. The hall lead to an open staircase that displayed the whole ballroom. There were bodies of civilians, soldiers and pirates everywhere. The pirates were winning.

She caught sight of Barbossa and ran down the stairs as fast as she could without tripping over bodies or the steps.

"Barbossa!" She shouted. No response.

"What are you doing?" A voice yelled at her. It was Oliver, and he didn't recognize her. She walked up to him, grabbed his bow and an arrow and set it.

"Barbossa!" She shouted again, the arrow pointed directly to his heart. He turned back toward her. "Give it back." She demanded.

"Or what?" He laughed.

"I will plunge this arrow into your heart." She yelled. He laughed.

"Do ye even know what this is?" Barbossa asked as he dangled the ring from the chain. "Huh? Do ye?"

"It's my father's ring." She said sternly.

"No." Barbossa chuckled. "This ring once belonged to a pirate named Jack Sparrow, an' has been missin' near 17 years now."

"You..." Oliver began, dumbfounded.

"Give me the ring back and no one gets hurt." Jesse said sourly. Barbossa and the last of the standing pirates all looked at her.

"An' if I don't?" Barbossa said. Jesse rose an eyebrow and shot her arrow. It nicked his shoulder and he shouted in surprise.

"I won't miss." She said, but before she could get another arrow, two pirates came from behind her and grabbed her. "No!" She yelped as she dropped the bow. They dragged her down the stairs and she tried to fight them off of her, but they were too strong. Suddenly, her legs dropped to the ground as a pirate fell face first with an arrow in his back. Jesse looked back and Oliver Norrington already had another arrow placed.

"Let her go." He demanded to the pirate who still had a grip on her. The pirate let Jesse go and began to back away with his hands up. Jesse turned back toward Oliver as a pirate came up behind him and stabbed him in the side with a small knife. Jesse screamed for him, but the attacker quickly ran up to her, threw her over his shoulder and headed out.

"Oliver!" She screamed as the doors slammed behind them. All she saw was the pained look on Oliver's face as he fell to his knees. She would never know if he knew that she was the girl behind the mask, or why he wanted to meet her. "Sam!" She screamed for her cousin, praying that she was safe. "Sam!

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**dun dun dun dunnn**

**review/rate thanks :)  
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	4. Chapter 4

**heyyyy guys! im so surprised that i actually have readers! when I read your comments, I smiled huge like a big doofus :) I really needed that today so thank you so much :]]**

**this is one of my shorter chapters, and it's kinda talky, but the chapter 5 will definitely be longer now that I have a better idea of the direction I want to go in.  
**

**I hope you guys like this chapter as well  
**

**I apologize AGAIN for the crap pirate talk, I'm so not one to pick up dialects haha  
**

**disclaimer: i dont own pirates of the caribbean, although it'd be pretty badass if i did  
**

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"Sam!" Her screams turned into weeping.

Jesse was thrust into a dark room. Before she regained her focus, she thought she heard the door lock from the outside and a creak of the flooring. She wiped her tear and dirt stained face and attempted to distinguish her surroundings, but she couldn't make anything out in the darkness. All she could tell was that the room was fairly large, although it wasn't spacious. Each wall contained a small circular window, but the moon barely shone through. She clumsily got to her feet, and realized that she was in the captain's quarters. She was on a ship! The scent of the sea washed over her and filled her nostrils and she ran, or stumbled, over to the window to peer out into the waters. This wasn't exactly how she imagined she'd get out, but nevertheless, she was on ship and that only meant she was closer to finding her father. The door opened, disrupting her thoughts, and the man who called himself Captain Barbossa appeared with a lit lantern.

Each wall was plastered with maps and wanted posters. In one corner, a small counter had a map on it. Beside it lay a compass, quill and inkwell, an unloaded gun, and other random artifacts that Jesse had never seen in her life. Directly in the middle of the room was a large round wooden table. It had a candle placed in the center, with what looked to be a set of dirty maroon placemats around it. At one end, there was a finely furnished chair crested with purple fabric and gold trimmings, that was nearly acceptable for a king, and at the other end was another chair, much smaller and lacking in color, but still ornate.

Jesse's eyes flickered to Barbossa's limp, as he maneuvered across the room. She hadn't noticed it before, which struck her as odd. He didn't say a word, but opened a drawer, pulled out a large bottle and then sat casually in the larger of two chairs. He bit onto the cork and yanked it out, spitting it across the floor. Then he poured the dark liquid into a goblet that sat on the table, after swigging the bottle.

"Yer goin' ter tell me where ye found this ring, lass." Barbossa said softly as he set the large bottle down. She clenched her jaw, not wanting to speak to him. He looked back up at her, after slamming the bottle on the counter. She hardly flinched. "Whenever ye like," said Barbossa facetiously. She looked down at her shoes that were too big. They were all scuffed and already lost their shine. Barbossa cleared his throat as he cracked his neck and shoulders. Jesse wanted to stare at the scars on his face, but knew it would be rude to stare. Not that he deserved anything more.

"I already told you, it was my father's." Jesse said lowly.

"An' I already told ye that, this here ring belonged to none other than Jack Sparrow, ya hear?" He shouted. "Now where did ye get it?"

"My uncle gave it to me," she was cooperative to his surprise, "when I was 7 years old."

"An' who be that?"

"Why should I tell you that?"

"It might just save yer life," said Barbossa. Jesse stared at him hard.

"What does it do?"

"What does what do?"

"The _ring_." Jesse said irritably. "Why do you want it, what does it do?"

"If I knew, do ye really think I would tell ye?"

"You don't know?" Now Jesse was really irritated.

"There be rumors." They both stared at each other. Jesse couldn't figure out why she wasn't scared. She never actually thought what it would be like, having a conversation with a pirate. A captain, nonetheless. _I should be terrified_, she thought, as she tried to keep herself calm.

"My uncle is Will... Turner." She whispered, finally. He rose an eyebrow.

"William _Turner_?" He repeated, as he howled in laughter. "How old are ye?"

"I'll be 17 this summer." She whispered.

"Ye don't say." He pulled her ring out of the front pocket of his jacket and twirled it around his fingers. "An' where did yer Uncle Will and yer Aunt Elizabeth git this ring?"

"I don-" Jesse cocked her head to the side. "How do you know them?" Now she felt scared. If he knew Will and Elizabeth, what did that mean? Would Barbossa know where Jack Sparrow is? Would Barbossa know if it were possible that Jack Sparrow _could_ in fact be her father?

"Oh, we go way back." He smiled. Jesse gulped. "Y'know... yer aunt is quite the pirate 'erself." Jesse laughed.

"Right." She rolled her eyes. Captain Barbossa looked her up and down.

"Ye don't believe me?" He said with a small smile. Barbossa didn't look half as threatening anymore. She rose an eyebrow and shrugged nervously.

"I don't know why I should," said Jesse, "but that doesn't mean I don't." Barbossa grinned as he swigged the bottle again, clearly neglecting the goblet. Jesse remained in the same spot, unable to move her limbs out of fear. "I suppose it would make sense." Jesse continued when Barbossa didn't say anything. "The way she's always so paranoid about me." Jesse's eyes scanned the room, "and how Will always looked pleased at how I handled a sword."

"An' a bow, I might say." Barbossa added. "Ain't many ladies who can hit, ye know."

"I think the adrenaline had something to do with that, actually." Jesse found herself smiling.

"What's yer name?" Barbossa inquired.

"Jesse. It's Jessica, but I hate it, so I prefer Jesse." She rambled.

"What say ye, leave me this ring, don't be comin' back fer it, an' we can negotiate."

"Take me to Tortuga." Jesse demanded. Barbossa rose an eyebrow and scoffed.

"Tortuga?"

"Do I need a reason? You have what you want." She said, irritably.

"Do ye know who yer father is?"

"I have an idea."

"Are ye seekin' him?"

"...yes." She said after a moment of hesitation.

"Do ye believe yer father is Jack Sparrow?"

"I said I had an idea." Jesse frowned.

"We look fer thee same person, Miss Jesse." Barbossa said gently. "I can assure ye, Tortuga is not where Jack Sparrow be hiding.

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	5. Chapter 5

**HAIII EVERYONE :) so here's chapter 5! I hope you guys like it, I worked on it all day haha. :)**

**if y'all still reading, tell me what you want to happen next and maybe I'll take in some people's suggestions. I don't really have a set in stone layout for this story, so it would be cool to have others ideas and opinions. might make it more fun for the readers :)  
**

**and i love writing when I know there are people who enjoy it!  
**

**again, sorry for the bad pirate lingo  
**

**and disclaimer: i dont own pirates of the caribbean, but I do own Jesse, Samantha and Oliver :)  
**

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A couple of days must have gone by, Jesse thought. Captain Barbossa said nothing other than that they would be reaching Tortuga's port shortly. He couldn't convince her otherwise. He had made a snide comment about her being insufferably stubborn just like her father, and she wouldn't show it, but it made her smile. Most of the time, she did as he said, stayed out of the way, avoided his obnoxious pet monkey (ironically named Jack) and waited patiently for port. Although he was a pirate, and one with years beyond years of experience, she felt like she could trust him, but she was no fool, and there was no doubt in her mind that Barbossa thought her a fool. He should have known better, if he didn't already, that Jesse had a plan. She had a plan to get her ring back, and to escape, and the only thing that would stop her would be dying. Barbossa kept her ring on him at all times, like it was his life. Jesse often saw him just gazing at it, like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He was absolutely entranced by it, like it was possessing him. The ring was too small for him to put onto his finger, and it was too big for hers.

Jesse assumed that she had approximately only a few hours until port. She kept replaying her plan in her head, trying to reel any doubts out. She knew deep down that her plan was not fool proof, and that she'd have to immediately find safety in Tortuga because the minute Barbossa discovered the ring being gone, he would come back for her, and the fair and uncharacteristically kind pirate he was being would never make a return. Unfortunately, that was not the difficult part of the plan.

Jesse had only a few hours to steal the ring unnoticed. A ring that Barbossa never let out of his sight. After watching Barbossa carefully for the last few days, she noticed that Barbossa often took naps. As weird as Jesse found it, she prayed that this napping ritual would continue. Today, he seemed irritable, constantly yelling and spewing colorful insults at his crew. He would walk past Jesse, who stayed huddled in a book, mouthing off to himself about cutting off the tongues of skirt wearing, scurvy infested sea dogs. It took most of Jesse's strength to not burst into a fit of giggles, but it sounded like she was trying to clear her throat, and when Barbossa shot her a dirty look, she just gave him an innocent doe eyed look and hid behind her book. She pretended to turn the page as she spied on him.

_It's about that time_, she thought frustratedly. _Why isn't he telling me to leave? _Captain Barbossa walked out of his cabin as Jesse put her book down. Curiously, she walked over to the small window by the door and peeked out. There were some pirates mopping the deck and there were some taking turns carrying crates to the other side of the ship. The sky was gray, no hints of blue anywhere, although the waters were calm. Jesse hadn't been allowed out of the cabin since she had been thrown on the ship, and this was the first time she was able to actually look at the pirates.

All men, obviously, and every single one had greasy, dirty, scraggly hair that either hung in their tanned, dirty faces or was pulled back at the nape of their neck. Most of the men were skinny and malnourished, even though there were a few who seemed to have some muscle mass to them. The clothes on their backs were all they had, and they were just as dirty, if not more, than the pirate wearing them. The dirt, the grease, the stains from body sweat. The clothes were raggedy and torn, and most of the pirates didn't even have the luxury of shoes. Their feet were filthy, callused and probably infected with fungus, Jesse thought. Their nails compact with dirt, teeth never once been touched or cleaned - decaying with black plaque that made your stomach uneasy, and breath that was enough to make Jesse's cousin Samantha faint.

Still, Jesse felt pity for them, something that would get her hit with a wooden spoon if she dared to admit back at Port Royal. Suddenly, she heard footsteps and got to her feet, quickly returned to her chair and scrambled to open up the book. Barbossa gave her a strange look as he walked past her, holding two buckets of sloshing water. She returned the look, confused as water spilled over the edges and onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" She dared to asked.

He poured the smaller buckets of water into a larger bucket that was large enough to hold a person. Fear ran through her like a ton of bricks. Was he going to drown her? Was this truly a trick? Why couldn't he just throw her overboard instead? Surely, he didn't know about her plan. How could he? He just rose an eyebrow as he walked out again, still wielding the now empty buckets. He chuckled at her terrified face. She closed the book and held it against her heaving chest. Out of all the ways she could die, drowning in a bucket of water was not one she ever imagined. She tossed the book on the table and ran to the window again. She reached it just in time to see another pirate handing Captain Barbossa more buckets. She quickly scanned the room for anything to defend herself with, but was cut short when the doors opened again. She flung herself against the chair and started humming to herself. Barbossa repeated the routine, and then began to head out again, but stopped before he closed the door.

"Ye may wan' ter leave, lass," said Barbossa, "preferably 'fore I get back," closing the doors again. _What?_ She cocked her head to the side. Her heart still pounding in double time. Did that mean she was safe? Jesse walked over to the large tub of water and didn't understand what he needed that much water for. Pirates, at least not that she knew of, bathed. The door began to open again and she panicked, running toward one of the small doors in the cabin. It opened to a cupboard, and though it was small, so was she, and she fit in tightly. The door had four slits across the center, and if Jesse squinted her eyes just enough she could see what was going on in the cabin. Barbossa was back, and she could hear the water sloshing in the buckets, and then into the tub again. He was humming merrily to himself. _Guess he's no longer in a bad mood_, Jesse scoffed.

She looked through the slits again and noticed that the large, grimy, leather jacket that he never took off was now placed along the back of his chair. What, she asked herself again. Barbossa turned and she saw that he was removing his shirt. Trying to stop herself from gasping, she covered her mouth and backed up into wall of the cupboard. Luckily, she didn't make any noise.

_He's bathing!_ She screamed in her head, _I didn't know pirates bathed!_ She peered through again in disbelief, as if her eyes had deceived her. She wished that she hadn't been so curious the second time. She brought her hands to her eyes so quickly when she saw that the captain was in less than his skivvies.

If it could get anymore awkward for Jesse, she was startled by the sound of a low grumble humming that turned into what Barbossa must have thought was called singing. _"The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike, the bosun brained with a marlinspike, and cookey's throat was marked belike, it had been gripped by fingers ten; and there they lay, all good dead men, like break o'day in a boozin' ken, yo ho ho and a bottle o' rum…"_

Jesse could not believe her eyes, nor her ears. What was she supposed to do? What if he went looking for her afterwards, just to find her stuck in the musty cabinet? Why was he bathing in the first place? Jesse's head began to hurt from the all the questions she would never ask. She ran her fingers through her hair and took quiet deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

She got an idea. She looked out the slits again, and saw that he was now laying in the tub, that Jesse had noticed was rusty and dirt ridden to begin with. Her eyes traveled to his coat, and the front pocket that held her ring. Perhaps, she could get it while he was distracted? He would be immobilized for a short amount of time, right? She looked back at him and he's eyes were closed, with a small smile of pleasure. She didn't even begin to question what he was smiling about. She shuddered at the thought of him wallowing in his own filth. Barbossa didn't look like he had bathed in months to begin with.

A loud crashing noise caught hers and Barbossa's attention. _Oh God,_ Jesse panicked as she looked over. Jack, Barbossa's ancient monkey that still had the energy of a young child, bounced over the table, knocking over a, thankfully, unlit candle holder.

"Jack!" Barbossa shouted frustratedly, as he began to rise. Jesse slapped her hands over her eyes and once again, had to stop herself from gasping at the sight. "Ye damn animal!" She heard the sounds of a body hitting water again. She took her chances and peeked through to see if he was in the water again. He was. She sighed silently and brought her attention back to the jacket. _Jack_. She thought as she saw the monkey get into the pockets of Captain Barbossa's jacket. _Oh, you have got to be kidding me!_ The monkey grabbed a hold of the ring and examined it. Jesse felt herself become angry and annoyed as Jack began to bite the stone. "_Yo ho, yo ho..."_ Barbossa carried on. Jack jumped off the table, ring still in hand, and scurried toward the door. The monkey was so clever that it knew exactly where to jump on the ledge to open the unlocked door. Jesse pressed her face against the cupboard door so to see further, but realized that the cupboard door she hid behind, didn't lock or close properly, and she came tumbling out. She heard a splash of water and a shout of surprise come from the bathing pirate. Jesse scrambled to her feet and screeched at the sight of a naked Barbossa, who started screaming obscenities at her. She tried to apologize, while still covering her eyes, but the sound of a pistol scared her and she ran for the door. Slamming it behind her, she ran across the deck as every seaman watched her in surprise. She assumed that some of them didn't know there was a female on deck. She found the pirate with the one eye from the Commodore's ball, and at first she gasped at the sight of him, but then hid behind him as Captain Barbossa stormed out of the cabin, his skivvies back in place. He had a pistol in his hand and he was searching the deck for her.

"What did ye do?" The skinny, tall, one-eyed pirate asked.

"You don't want to know." She said, her voice shaken.

"Jesse!" Captain Barbossa shouted. Jack, the monkey, hung by her from a netted rope. The ring still in his small little hand. She growled at the monkey, and swiped the ring from him, and once he realized he was defeated, he hissed at her, saliva flying from his little gums and hitting her face.

"You pathetic littl-" She began as the fat pirate that accompanied the one-eyed one grabbed her by her arm, and yanked her in front of him.

"Aye, Cap'n, I found 'er!" He threw her down in front of him. Jesse gasped as she discovered that she did in fact have her ring in her hand. Curling into a position that would hide her from everyone, she stuffed the ring down her corset, then put her hands down to prop herself up. Barbossa grabbed her by her hair, throwing her to her feet.

His wet face was close to hers now, and she was shaking, shivering in fear and unable to move her body. He curled his lips into a sinister smile and let go of her hair.

"Jus' what exactly do ye think ye were doin'?" He placed the side of the barrel against her cheek, and she whimpered and felt her eyes begin to swell with tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't leave quickly enough-" She stammered as he rose an eyebrow, "so I hid in the closet, I didn't mea-I'm sorry." Her voice cracked. He looked off to the side, out into the ocean. Jesse didn't dare look along with him, but he removed the gun and his shoulders relaxed. "Plank." He said.

"What?" Jesse cried, as the one-eyed pirate and the fat one grabbed her arms.

"Ye don't be meddlin' in places ye don't belong." Barbossa said. "I 'ave got what I want, an' port is just south. Ye can see it." Jesse turned and he was right. She could make out the port, and it would be an easy swim. If you knew how to swim.

"I can't swim!" She exclaimed, not knowing what would be worse: being thrown over or staying.

"Guess yer gon' 'ave ter learn." Barbossa said, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't worry, lass. I'll tell yer pop all about yer."

"Barbossa!" Jesse screamed as the pirates around her started laughing. Jack ran up his arm and sat on his shoulders and snickered to himself, as if he knew that she was being punished. _I will kill that monkey..._ she thought sourly to herself. The one-eyed pirate gave her an apologetic look, and the fat one did also, but only when they knew no one else could see them.

"Sorry, lass." The fat one said in a very hushed tone. He pushed her on the plank, and Jesse could feel the wind blow through her hair and through her shirt even. She turned back toward them, not even bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes. A huge hulking pirate that Jesse had never even seen got frustrated and pushed the two out of the way, and stomped on the plank, causing it to wobble and Jesse to lose her balance. She screamed as she plunged into the water.

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**:):)**


	6. Chapter 6

**an: hello again everyone**

**here is the next installment of jesse's adventure in finding her missing father.  
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**i hope you guys enjoy it like always  
**

**PS: I noticed that in the last chapter I mentioned the ring being too big for Jesse's fingers, where in chapter 1 I mentioned it fit her perfect... um yeah, I changed my mind I guess, and it's going to be too big for her fingers from now on. Idk if anyone caught on to that, but it was going to bug me if I didn't clear that up.  
**

**PSS: I've been uploading like every single day, and I just wanna say that within the next two weeks my work schedule is pretty busy and my birthday is coming up, and i'm getting ready to move within the next few months, so i'm trying to get as much out as possible, but I don't have this pre-written. the minute I finish each scene, I'm uploading on here, so I don't have a set schedule. Tomorrow I will try to get Chapter 7 up, but if I don't it will definitely be up by the end of this week.  
**

**disclaimer: i dont own pirates of the caribbean  
**

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"Miss? Miss!" An unfamiliar panicked voice shouted. Jesse's eyes struggled to open, and a blurry figure stood over her. The figure backed off when she began to hack and spit up water, but then came to her aid immediately. He unbuttoned her shirt and whipped out a knife. Jesse was so startled that she couldn't move, but the 'attacker' brought the knife down and she felt the fabric of her corset break and a gush of air come through her lungs. Jesse took a few deep breaths, unsure if she was dreaming. When she looked over, she saw a handsomely breathtaking young man watching her with a very concerned look on his face. He was soaking wet, his dark brown hair dripping in his face. He had friendly brown eyes and a wide jaw, with full lips. He was leaned over her, in a slightly questionable position. He must have saved her, since all she remembered was falling and a mouthful of sea water. "Your lips were blue." He said. "You weren't breathing." She scrunched up her brows. "Can you not talk?"

"I can talk, just fine." Jesse snapped back at him.

"What the blazes were you doing out there?" Jesse noticed an unfamiliar accent seep through his words.

"I was thrown overboard." She said.

"What you been thrown overboard for?" He looked amazed. Jesse instantly put her hand to her chest and dug through her open corset. The man backed away for a moment.

"My ring." Jesse panicked. She began to hurriedly undress herself.

"Whoa, whoa, miss," the man stammered, "shall I take you to the doctor?"

"No?" Jesse gave him a weird look.

"Perhaps, the pub then?" He half smiled, and Jesse couldn't help but smile back.

"What is your name?" Jesse inquired.

"It's Benjamin." He said, with a straight back. "May I ask yours?"

"Jesse." She said quietly.

"Well, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"As am I, yours." Jesse said politely back.

"You speak of a ring?" He asked, leaning over her, and grabbing something off the grass. He looked at it curiously.

"Yes." She whispered. He looked back at her and held up her father's ring. "Yes!" She reached for it. "Hey-" She looked taken aback, as he moved his arm away from her.

"I find that I like you," Benjamin said, "would you accompany me to the pub?" His eyelashes were still slightly damp, and it made his eyes glisten now that the sun was out.

"Taking my things will not guarantee you my affections." Jesse rose an eyebrow. He smiled softly.

"How right you are." He looked back at the ring, and then back at Jesse, with much curiosity. "I apologize." He handed it to her. "I had no intentions of keeping it, if that's what you thought."

"I had hoped not." She couldn't help but smile at this boy's uncanny charm. They both sat there, staring at each other, half expecting the other to say something, but there was nothing but silence. He reached over, and she pulled away nervously, causing him to grin as he pulled a long string of seaweed out of her hair. Her face must have looked disgusted because he laughed at her. "What?" She said defensively. He shrugged, smile still planted. "Do you think I'm supposed to fall in love with you now because you saved my life?" Jesse frowned, although the look she gave him was intentionally playful.

"It's not everyday a beautiful woman is drowning." Benjamin said. Jesse glared at him, mostly to try and hide the fact that she was blushing. "I can be hopeful, yes?" He stood to his feet, and reached out his hand. She stared at it, then at his face. Clutching onto his hand, he pulled her to her feet and caught her in his strong arms when she lost her balance. She wasn't as steady as she thought. "I don't suppose you live here, considering I would have noticed you before," he said carefully, "have you any... clothes that fit?" He gave her a good once over and Jesse felt strangely self conscious. Before she could answer, "Fair enough, I.."

"What is it?" Jesse asked, after he didn't finish his sentence.

"Hm? Oh, right." Benjamin shrugged, "it's nothing. I think I have something that shall fit you fine." Now that he turned, Jesse realized Benjamin wasn't wearing a shirt. Maybe being on a ship made her already accustomed to seeing half dressed men. She shuddered at the thought of her most recent of events. However, it was rare to find someone who lived on land to be so careless about his appearance. He was handsome, and clean, but his pants were old and his boots scuffed and worn.

"Don't you have a shirt?" Jesse asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"How come you don't wear it?" She felt like Samantha, her snooty cousin. Jesse cringed at herself for being so judgemental, but even in Port Royal, the poor had the decency to cover up.

"Do you wear a corset if you don't have to?" Benjamin rose an eyebrow at her.

"Well, no-"

"Same thing." He cut her off. "And it seems like you do." He eyed her sopping

wet shirt again. "Do you prefer looking like a man?"

"Excuse you," Jesse scoffed, "I'll have you know that a corset binds a waist to make a woman look curvier." She argued, even though he had definitely caught on to what she was trying to achieve by wearing the corset.

"Yes, a woman, but what are you, 12?" Benjamin was clearly teasing her now.

"I am _16_." Jesse corrected. He smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, pardon me." He replied, "I forgot that there was a significant difference between 12 and 16." She stared hard at him in disbelief.

"There's no need to be rude." Jesse pouted.

"I'm sorry, it's just so easy." He grinned at her. "This way." He gently guided her in front of him. They were on a dirty path, although she could see port if she squinted her eyes enough. Benjamin seemed unfazed that they were heading away from port, and he seemed nice. He _did _save her life. Jesse began to smell smoke and her focus drifted away from the town and toward the scent. She saw a small little house, smoke lifting from the chimney and even a horse locked in a small stable to side. She stopped at first, and he looked back at her with a look of genuine concern. "Anything wrong?"

"Don't you have a wife?" She asked. Benjamin's eyebrows turned up, and his eyes looked weak, and Jesse realized she had crossed a line with her new ally. "I'm sorry, I-"

"It's fine." He shrugged.

"No, I am sorry, that was awful of me." Jesse couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Please, come in." He opened the door for her and she did as he requested as to not hurt his feelings further. "I'll go get you a change of clothes." He said awkwardly as he walked out of the small room. Jesse nervously stood by the table and gazed around the room. It was dark, other than the large window that allowed the sun to shine through. The room looked like it belonged to a small family, but it was spotless.

A painting hanging on the wall caught Jesse's eyes, and she walked over to it curiously. It was of a young woman, no older than Jesse, a small child and a young man who looked exactly like Benjamin. Jesse felt a stab of pain in her chest when she realized that she had probably hurt Benjamin more than she thought.

"I think these will fit you, I believe that-" He said before taking in Jesse looking back at him with a sad look on her face. "Ah, yes." He half smiled and then took a deep breath.

"You asked me if I have a wife." He responded, "and the answer to that is that I had... a wife." He swallowed hard and handed her the folded clothes. "She drowned." He said. The joy in his eyes and lightheartedness he had earlier was gone now. "And little Annaliese... she... was too young." Jesse stood there, nearly petrified.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." She stammered.

"That's very kind of you." He said. They stared at each other in that awkward way again, before Jesse excused herself to the other room to change her clothes.

Once she was secure in the room, she was quick to tear off the clothes she had taken from the Commodore's mansion, and redress herself in the soft cotton day dress that Benjamin had provided for her. The dress was a pale blue, and was stiff from never being worn. Jesse looked down at herself uncomfortably. She grabbed her ring and put it over her thumb, the only finger that it fight tightly around. She wasn't used to wearing a dress without stockings or a huge set of petticoats underneath. Elizabeth usually let her run around in trousers and buttoned up shirts unless she needed to be out in public. She swished back and forth as she watched the skirt that only went down to her ankles twirl around her legs. The dress had a round neckline, high waist with short sleeves, something else that she wasn't accustomed to. She walked out of the room, still watching how the dress moved as she did and nearly bumped into Benjamin. Or, who she thought was Benjamin. She gasped as the woman looked down at her with a confused expression on her face.

"I'm sorry." Jesse blurted unexpectedly. She was doing a lot of apologizing lately and it was very unlike her.

"And who are you?" The voice actually came out friendly and Jesse looked around the room for Benjamin but didn't find him anywhere.

"My name is... Jesse." She said, nervously.

"Maria." She woman said, with a sly smile. "I'm Benjamin's sister."

"Oh." Jesse said, sounding a little too relieved. Maria gave a high pitched partial laugh, and she maneuvered around her and into the other room. "Um.. where is he? Your brother."

"He's out back." She called from the other room. Out back, okay. Jesse looked around, unsure of her boundaries. Carefully, she walked around the furniture and out the front door.

The sun was still out and the temperature was rising as the day progressed, and Jesse was thankful for the slight breeze and the lightness of her dress. She found Benjamin behind his house with an axe and logs of wood.

"Hello." She said softly. He looked over to her, as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"You look nice." Benjamin smiled. Jesse sheepishly smiled, and fiddled her thumbs behind her back.

"I don't want to come off as rude," she began, "and I am very grateful..." she pointed to her dress and then scratched her head, "I mustn't stay in one place for too long."

"No, no, of course." He said, though his expression looked like he didn't understand.

"The pirates may come back for me." She whispered.

"They threw you overboard, why would they come back for you?" He asked. Jesse looked at the ground, unable to find the words. "Did you steal that ring?"

"No." Jesse said defensively. "It was mine to begin with." She crossed her arms. Benjamin rose an eyebrow and then laughed. "I'm serious. Well, it was my father's, but it was handed down to me." He reached for her hand and examined it again. The green emerald that sat in the skulls jaw reflected off the sun, and the worn silver needed to be polished or taken to someone who specialized in restoring old jewelry.

"Was your father a pirate?" He said, her hand still in his, as their eyes met.

"Yes." She answered.

"What's his name?" Benjamin asked.

"Jack." She responded.

"Jack...?" He persisted.

"Jack... Sparrow."

"Jack _Sparrow?_" Benjamin repeated. "No, honestly, Jack who?"

"You heard right." She said. He cocked his head to the side with an unconvinced expression on his face.

"Jack Sparrow is nearly famous." He added.

"I know."

"Not for... good reasons either."

"I know."

"Are you looking for him?"

"Yes." She said. Benjamin frowned. "What? What is that look for?" He shook his head. "Benjamin, tell me." She demanded, turning his face back toward her.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "sometimes people hear rumors."

"What kind of rumors?" She pouted.

"Ill-fated rumors?" He guessed.

"Well, what did you hear?" She asked, her voice desperate. He gave her a sympathetic look.

"Last I heard," Benjamin began, "Jack Sparrow hasn't been seen in over 17 years." Jesse nodded. Benjamin put his hand to his head and Jesse knew that he genuinely did not want to continue his sentence. "Awh, Jess," he sighed, "Jack Sparrow is rumored dead.

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**:O!**

**Leave in the reviews, who do you picture when you read Benjamin? :)  
**


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